WE ARE MARSHALL: DVD

SYNOPSIS:
In 1970, a chartered jet carrying Marshall University's football team, coaches and fans, crashes on its way home from a hard-fought game in North Carolina, killing the 75 on-board: 37 players, 8 coaches and university staff, the flight crew and 25 prominent Huntington citizens who had made the trip to support them. In the aftermath, university president Donald Dedmon (David Strathairn) prepares to suspend the school's football program for the season, but young coach Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) is determined to rebuild Marshall's football program, and in the process, help to heal the community.

Review by Louise Keller:
There's blame and grief when Marshall University's entire football team is killed in a tragic plane crash. But despite University President Donald Dedmon's (David Strathairn) immediate instincts, he is persuaded by Anthony Mackie's Nate Ruffin, a player whose injury kept him from the fatal flight, to recruit a new team. Matthew McConaughey's Jack Lengyel volunteers for the role of coach when no-one else is able to commit, but recruiting the new team is difficult and he is forced to make his selection from players of different sports.

There is no doubting the film's integrity, yet it feels formulaic. There are no surprises and while McConaughey does a reasonable job, his performance is mannered. Kate Mara is appealing as Annie Cantrell who has lost her fiancé, and Strathairn is as solid as his role allows. The tone is ultra serious and I felt tired after the first 30 minutes. The filmmakers have injected plenty of football fever and much effort is made to motivate the new team. One day, winning will matter,' says Dedmon. 'Now, it doesn't matter if we win or if we lose, it's not even how we play the game. It's that we play the game...' And play they do, although there's little at stake emotionally.

Published July 5, 2007